Koitsu's daytime landscapes and non-nocturnal scenes are less common on the primary market but still reflect his mastery of atmosphere and color. Values have risen steadily over the past decade.
Ukai — cormorant fishing — has been practiced on the Nagara River at Gifu for over thirteen centuries, its fishermen using trained birds on leashes to catch ayu sweetfish by torchlight. Koitsu captures the ritual's primal drama: torches blazing from the prow of the fishing boat, cormorants plunging into the dark water, the river surface alive with reflected fire. The practice was so celebrated that it attracted the attention of Oda Nobunaga and numerous Edo-period poets.
Curated cross-cuts that include this print.
Fishing for Cormorants at Nagaragawa was created by Tsuchiya Koitsu (土屋光逸).
Fishing for Cormorants at Nagaragawa was published by Doi Sadaichi.
Fishing for Cormorants at Nagaragawa depicts birds & flowers, boats & ships, and rivers & lakes.
